Method and apparatus for controlling gas flow to a processing chamber

• Main Authors: GEOFFRION BRUNO, GOLD EZRA ROBERT, CRUSE JAMES PATRICK, LEE JARED AHMAD, FOVELL RICHARD CHARLES, BUCHBERGER DOUGLAS ARTHUR
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 03.09.2008
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; CONTROLLING; CRYSTAL GROWTH; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HEATING; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; PHYSICS; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; REGULATING; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; WEAPONS

A method and apparatus for delivering gases to a semiconductor processing system are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for delivering gases to a semiconductor processing system includes a plurality of gas input and output lines having inlet and outlet ports. Connecting lines couple respective pairs of the gas input and gas output lines. Connecting valves are arranged to control flow through the respective connecting lines. Mass gas flow controllers are arranged to control flow into respective inlet ports. In another embodiment, a method includes providing a manifold having at least a plurality of inlet that may be selectively coupled to at least one of a plurality of outlets, flowing one or more gases through the manifold to a vacuum environment bypassing the processing chamber prior to processing or to a calibration circuit, and flowing the one or more gases into the processing chamber during substrate processing.